AN ARMED robber who unwittingly held three of his former schoolmates at knife-point was put behind bars for three years.

Adam Moynihan, 20, and an accomplice threatened five young men with the blade during a late-night street attack and ordered them to hand over their belongings.

But Liverpool crown court heard that, unknown to Moynihan, three of his victims had previously gone to his school and recognised him. They showed officers his picture in a school year book.

Sending Moynihan to a Young Offenders’ Institute, Judge Brian Lewis said: “You produced that weapon and you aggressively approached the group waving the knife, pressing it to the neck of one and to the stomach of another.

“They were understandably terrified.

“ What makes this situation serious is it was at night, there were two of you and a weapon was used. You played the principal role, you were the leader, you were making the threats, you were using the knife.”

Martin Decker, prosecuting, said Moynihan’s five victims were walking home from a barbecue and an 18th birthday party along Cranleigh Road, Gateacre, at 2.30am on June 6.

They were approached by Moynihan, who was wielding the knife, and his accomplice who demanded the men stand against a wall. They ordered their victims to hand over their valuables.

Mr Decker said one handed over a mobile phone, but the others resisted or ran away.

But three of the men recognised Moynihan as being in their year at Gateacre comprehensive and later gave police a description.

When police arrived, they saw Moynihan in Gorsey Cop Road and watched him run into his home on that street. Officers later found the stolen mobile phone in the garden.

Moynihan admitted one count of robbery and four charges of attempted robbery.

Jason Smith, defending, said Moynihan had fallen in with the wrong crowd after leaving his job in 2008.